Wicca/Paganism; such a misunderstood religion.
"You worship the devil!" WRONG! Wiccan's worship the Earth and Mother Nature. Wicca is nothing to play around with and it is to be taken as seriously as any other religion. The pentacle is not that of Satan, but that of the elements. Wind, water, earth, fire, and spirit.
As per the Religious Tolerance, "Wiccans have great reverence for the Earth and for their Goddess and her consort, the Horned God. Their main rule of behavior is the Wiccan Rede which forbids them from harming people, including themselves, except in some cases of self-defense. "
As per the Religious Tolerance, "Because of centuries of religious propaganda and misinformation, many conservative Christians, and others, associate Wiccans with Satanists even though the two belief systems are as different as Christianity and Atheism. "
We, as Wiccan's, also celebrate the holidays as well as the changing of the seasons. Sahmain, the Celtic New Year is celebrated on October 31st, Yule is the celebration of the Winter Solstice, Imbolc is celebrated on February 2nd, Ostara, Beltane, Litha is the celebration of the Summar Solstice, Lughnasadh (Lamma) is the celebration of the first harvest and Mabon is the celebration of the Fall Equinox (the 2nd harvest). As you can see, there is nothing satanic about this religion.
If you are unable to see the positive side of Wicca, then take a look at what a handful of men and women have to say about it.
A fellow Wiccan, Mike Sexton, said, "Wicca honors nature and lets you learn self-empowerment."
My friend, Katilyn Monnier, said, "Wicca is something that we have in all of us. The empathy, that feeling you have when something just doesn't feel right. It is a feeling. It's a calmness amongst the chaos. Wicca isn't about sacrifice, it is about life. The beauty of it, whether it is a deadly fire or a gentle rain. It helps the world grow. Wicca just is."
Another fellow Wiccan, Frank Borello, said, "A good example of this is Gerald Gardner's tradition of Wicca. In 1939 he became involved with the Fellowship of Crotona, an occult group of Co-Masons, a Masonic Theosophist Annie Besant. The members claimed to be hereditary Witches who practiced a Craft passed down to them through the centuries of family training. In 1946, Gardner was introduced to Aleister Crowley. Crowley made Gardner an honorary member of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), a magickal order at one time under Crowley's leadership. Reportedly learning plenty of magickal practices from Crowley.
Based on these earlier coven training and his own historical research, Gardner developed specific rituals, learning criteria and initiation tests for his new denomination of the Craft. In 1953 he initiated Doreen Valiente into his coven. The two collaborated on writing ritual and non-ritual material, a body of work which continues to stand as the authority for what became known as the Gardnerian tradition of Witchcraft or what many know today as Wicca.
Most covens and their eventual traditions are formed in this same way. A teacher often reads, researchers and grows beyond their teacher. They expand their knowledge along with their understandings of spirit, nature, and beliefs. Being exposed to other religions and other people can also provide for alternative views and beliefs. A well-educated teacher/initiated Priest/Priestess will take this knowledge and add it to their practices for their new coven. In doing so, they can establish a new Tradition of Witchcraft."
